Rebuilding after extreme weather events is inevitably a complicated, emotionally fraught process, as homeowners decide whether and how to rebuild their properties. Current policies in the United States favor “like for like” rebuilds that merely replace damaged or destroyed property. However, these policies do not account for preexisting inequities that make some communities more vulnerable to extreme weather or energy insecurity in the first place. In many cases, it would be more beneficial if households could instead improve the overall quality and energy characteristics of their homes during reconstruction, especially as climate-related disasters become more frequent and destructive.Researchers at Stanford University, University of Maryland, College Park, and The Ohio State University will undertake a multi-pronged effort to examine  how existing rebuilding efforts have impacted energy resiliency in three cities in different stages of recovery after extreme weather disasters: Houston, Texas after Hurricane Harvey in 2017; Asheville, North Carolina after Hurricane Helene in 2024; and Los Angeles, California after the Palisades Fire in 2025. The researchers will then partner with local chapters of the American Red Cross (ARC) to design and pilot a novel intervention that will provide households who have lost their homes with tailored resources to facilitate energy efficient rebuilding. This intervention is expected to be a combination of providing targeted information resources along with access to an in-person “rebuilding ambassador” who will help households make better sense of the provided information about their rebuilding options, all with the goal of improving post-disaster rebuilding and climate resilience efforts. The expectation is that this piloted intervention could be subsequently scaled and expanded to other geographies facing similar challenges around the country.